


A Favor to Ask

by itbeajen



Series: 30 Days with Raha [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Confessions, Established Relationship, F/M, Female Warrior of Light - Freeform, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Reader Insert, Sweet, Tumblr: FFXIVwrite2020, Unnamed Warrior of Light - Freeform, adoration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26276788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbeajen/pseuds/itbeajen
Summary: If there was one thing that you wished you could do, it would be to actually have enough courage to just confess to him. But he was your dear friend and one of your dearest companions, and the last thing you wanted was to overstep the boundaries that the two of you have unintentionally set for yourselves.
Relationships: G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Reader, G'raha Tia | Crystal Exarch/Warrior of Light
Series: 30 Days with Raha [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906222
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56
Collections: #FFxivWrite2020 Final Fantasy 30 Day Writing Challenge





	A Favor to Ask

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #3 for FFXIV Write 2020  
> Muster /ˈmʌs tər/ (verb): to gather, summon, rouse

Despite attempting to keep yourself calm for the rest of the trip, every time you saw G’raha Tia, those blasted feelings of yours came back in full force, completely taking out any comprehensive thought in your mind and proceeded to turn your brain smooth and mushy. 

_Soft_ . That was all you could think of. You subconsciously touch your forehead where you had felt his warmth for a fleeting moment. _He was so soft and warm… kind of like mochi._ The strangely fitting analogy made you smile and you shook your head and sighed. 

It was pointless for you to even consider entertaining your feelings. You knew for a fact that Raha was fond of you, but perhaps the fondness and affections that he held for you was nothing more than one looking up to their role model. The small seed of insecurity that dwelled within you made you bite your lower lip. 

How did it end up like this? Where did these feelings come from? And how did they manage to get exponentially stronger? You were always fond of G’raha even before he had been sealed within the Crystal Tower. In fact, you still remember how much your heart had ached when he was gone. You had only known him for such a short while, yet your attachment to him was ridiculous. You stifle a sigh that threatened to escape.

It was your last night in the Far East with G’raha. Together the two of you have sailed through the Ruby Seas while fishing for meals and avoiding becoming fish fodder, and traveled through the windy fields of Azim Steppe while being forced to participate in friendly spars between the tribes there. 

Every moment you had spent with him rediscovering the beauty of the Far East filled you with so much joy and excitement. Especially more so now than it did the first time you had ventured there. The very first time you had visited, the entire region was still filled with strife and distrust towards all outsiders. Even with your good intentions and attempts to help others heal from the damage done by the Garleans, you didn’t have the time to take in the sights and scenery of the Far East properly. But now that you’re traveling with G’raha, you couldn’t help but come to appreciate the area even more than before. 

Your last stop was the Doman Enclave, and rightfully so. It was the place where the Domans now resided, and quite honestly, it brought you so much joy to see the Domans thriving as they are now. When you had arrived here, the place was desolate and almost empty, but now it was filled with life, and after hearing that you were going to be visiting with a dear friend, it was even lovelier than you had last remembered.

“[Name]!” A boisterous voice called out your name effectively snapping you away from your thoughts. You were waiting outside the Kienkan, like you had promised upon arrival, and were startled with the hug that Hien had wrapped you in. He let you go and held you at arm’s length. The smile on his features are infectious and you find yourself mirroring his expression.

“Hien! It’s good to see you.”

“You look well, and for that I am glad,” he stated. His gaze swept over the surrounding area and his head slowly tilts to one side, “Where is your companion?”

“Hakuro took a liking to him and dragged him off to the One Thousand Stalls first,” you sighed and fondly shook your head. “Something about how he could smell another well-seasoned warrior and would love to hear about G’raha’s tales.”

“Of course,” Hien laughed and gently patted your back, “Shall we follow? I am sure all of us are more than excited to hear of your stories about this other world you had vaguely touched upon last you were here.”

As you slowly made your way to the stalls, you see even from far away how excited G’raha looked. His eyes sparkled with the knowledge and stories that the Lupins were giving him, and you can see from the happy little swish of his tail and the occasional wiggles of his ears that he was clearly having quite the time of his life. 

“Is that him?” Hien asked. He could see how your gaze fixated on the male Mi’qote that it had to be him, and you quickly nodded. There was a slight spring in your step that nearly everyone was able to see - perhaps everyone but the two directly intertwined with these feelings.

“Raha!”

“[Name]! Hakuro has been lauding about you in his tales, and really, you are much too humble and modest for your own good,” G’raha teases. He takes a few steps to close the gap between you and he sighed, “Although I did hear about how reckless your plans were at times, I am glad that Hakuro and his Lord were able to keep you in check.”

“Hah, hear that, [Name], I kept you in check,” Hien chuckled loudly before making a proper bow to G’raha. “It is a pleasure to meet you, G’raha Tia. I am Hien.”

“It’s a pleasure, Hien. [Name] had told me of your heroics and how charismatic of a leader you are.”

“Oh, you did?” Hien raised an eyebrow at this short exchange and you shrugged lightly before teasing, “Well, I wouldn’t deny that you have leadership, my friend.”

You turned to face G’raha again and his expression softened slightly. He glanced at you and then the empty seats at the table and smiled, “Will you join us?”

“Of course!”

***

The laughter and tears that sprung up from the joy of the conversations that came about truly exhausted your social battery. You may be used to being around other people and you may have a knack at dealing with social events, but you were tired and absolutely exhausted. 

You make an excuse to go grab some more water from the stalls, but no one notices when you casually dodge through the crowded outdoor dining hall and escape to the empty gardens located behind the walls of the Thousand Stalls. 

As you made your way to hide inside the gazebo located in the center of the garden, a breath of relief escaped you now that you were finally out of that situation. The cool breeze that played with your loose strands of hair and tickled the exposed skin of your neck. Your gaze turns to the starry night sky above you, and you can’t help but be amazed by the beauty of it all, and how amazing it was that this same sky encompassed the entire world, not just this one portion of the world.

“So this is where you ran off to.” 

Your head slowly turns to face G’raha. He was quietly making his way across the bridges leading up to the gazebo and you gently patted the empty spot beside you on the wooden bench. The lanterns that were lit up across the garden and even floating on the pond surrounding the gazebo gave the two of you just enough light to see each other properly in the darkness of the night sky.

“Forgive me for leaving so abruptly, I just…” you paused and softly admitted, “I just needed some fresh air. As much as I do enjoy the livelihood here, I cannot help but feel exhausted after sharing so many drinks and eating so much food.”

G’raha chuckled as he took his spot by your side. It felt so natural to be sitting next to him, especially after how close the two of you have been since this trip. You couldn’t help but feel like this was just perfect. Your shoulders were just brushing against each other, and you could still feel his warmth even if he wasn’t exactly touching you. 

“Did you have fun?” G’raha asked. He wasn’t looking at you, and instead was fixated on a small firefly that circled around one of the lanterns hanging off the roofing of the gazebo. You followed his gaze and you slowly close your eyes, “I did. Did you?”

“Words won’t do justice just how much this trip meant to me, [Name].”

His voice sounded much closer than you had thought it would be. Slowly, your eyes fluttered open and found that G’raha was sitting much closer to you, or at least, he was definitely leaning in more than he was before. 

“R-Raha?”

Perhaps he didn’t mean to be this close, and perhaps he wasn’t expecting your eyes to widen like so, but it surprised him to see you look so adorably flustered. You would have leaned back or scooted away if you could, but you weren’t smart enough to have given yourself more space on the bench to do so.

“You’re a bit close…” you murmured. It was so unlike you, so out of character for you to be flustered to the point where you couldn’t even maintain eye contact. He has never seen you in such a vulnerable state before, and he softly asked, “Does it make you uncomfortable?”

_Uncomfortable?_ Your gaze finds his and you bite down on your lip. _How could I feel uncomfortable when all I’ve ever wanted was to close the gap between us?_

“If you keep biting down so hard, you’ll bleed, [Name].” 

G’raha’s hand gently touched your cheek and without realizing it, you’re leaning into it. You had closed your eyes and leaned in, wanting nothing more than to stay like this. But had you opened your eyes, if you had just continued to maintain eye contact with him, you would have quelled the fears that were lingering in your heart. You would have known right then and there that your emotions that you felt for him were reciprocated for you. 

His smile was soft. So soft, tender, and his gaze filled with unadulterated affection for you. 

It took G’raha every little drop of willpower within him not to lean in close the gap between the two of you. Your lips were right there, but he was no beast. He would not force himself upon you, and right now, the fact that he could even touch you like so, and stay so close to you was a blessing enough as it is. 

But that doesn’t stop him from gently leaning forward to press his forehead against yours, and that is just enough movement for you to open your eyes and look at him. 

“Forgive me if I am overstepping my boundaries, [Name]... But please,” G’raha’s voice whispered quietly and he continued, “Please let me stay like this for just a little longer.”

There’s a sharp intake of air and for a moment you don’t realize it’s you. You can feel your heart squeezing and you wanted nothing more, nothing more than to get even closer to him and you sighed, “As long as you want, as long as you are willing to have me here, we can stay like this as long as you’d want.”

G’raha is thankful that you cannot see how his ears flicked in such an obvious way that anyone could tell that he was deeply infatuated and in love with you. His tail swished and nearly thumped against the bench. He took in a deep breath and admitted, “If I may ask you of another favor-”

“Anything, if it’s within my power, I will do it.”

G’raha paused and you pulled away slightly to look at him better. There’s an unmistakable flush of red across his face and you asked, “What is it?”

“W-Well,” G’raha stammered and he didn’t realize until then that maybe, just maybe, he didn’t have enough courage to go through this confession. After all, like you, he too doubted if his feelings were allowed. He couldn’t help but wonder if maybe… just maybe, this affection and intimacy that he shared with you was all just because you were his friend. 

What if it was the same affection that you held for the rest of the scions? What would he do then if this confession of his only resulted in an awkwardness that could never be bridged? The mere thought of rejection was paralysing and left G’raha at a loss for words.

“Raha?”

You whispered his name quietly and hesitantly touched his cheek. When your hand gently cups his cheek, there is a clear sound reminiscing a purr emanating from him. His free hand gently holds onto your hand, firmly holding it against his cheek and he murmurs, “I do not know if I have the right to admit these feelings for you… but I adore you, [Name].”

He sees your lips open in a response and he quickly shushes you. There is a melancholic smile on his lips and he continued, “I adore you. It’s much more than adoration and reverence for a role model or an inspiration. I…” The words are caught in his throats and you can see the torment on his usual soft features.

“I… I truly adore you, [Name], and I would want nothing more than to be able to stay by your side forevermore.”

Your eyes widened and he weakly laughed, “I… I had debated whether or not to say these words… I feared-”

“I love you, Raha.”

It was the three words that he didn’t have the courage to say, yet when he finally, truly, looks at you in this moment, he can see your heartfelt emotions written all over your face. A soft laugh escapes your lips and you pull him into a hug.

“Thank you, Raha.”

“[N-Name]?!” 

The shock on his voice was apparent as he tried to figure out where he should place his hands. Every single sensation was filled with you. It was to the point that he couldn’t tell whether this was reality or a dream. He settled for gently wrapping his arms around your back, and slowly he found a comfortable position in which he could gently pat the back of your head. 

“[Name].”

“Hmm?”

“Am I dreaming?” 

You almost laughed at the way his voice had broken ever so slightly when he asked the question. But you do not blame him for such thoughts. After all, it felt surreal to be in his arms, to feel him so close to you, and to have every single sense be filled with him. You shook your head and sighed contently, “No, but were it not for your courage, I would not have had the ability to confess to you, do you know that?”

“ _My_ courage?”

“Yes, yours.” You paused and leaned in against him a bit more so you were actually resting your head on his shoulders, “I will admit that I had contemplated telling you this much sooner, but then you had locked yourself into the tower, never for me to see you again. And upon reawakening, I’ve wanted nothing more than to be by your side. But you had called upon me as your inspiration, a role model, I did not want to break your trust…” 

Your voice trails off and G’raha tightens his arms around you without realizing it, but there is no complaint on your end. In fact, you even sort of enjoy the intimacy of the situation. You sighed and admitted, “But when you had said that you wanted to be by my side, that you _adored_ me. I couldn’t stop myself from admitting the truth of my feelings for you. So now, I must ask you, Raha.”

G’raha felt you pull away, and even with his strength he could not keep you firmly in this lovely position. His gaze meets yours and you asked, “Would you do me a favor and stay with me, through thick and thin, and through all the ups and downs?”

There is a nervous smile on your face when those words finally escape the cage of your heart, and he smiled, “I would. Thank you, [Name].”

  
You shook your head fondly and gently leaned in again to his touch and you softly murmured, “Thank _you_ , Raha.” _For being my pillar of strength and courage._

**Author's Note:**

> I was really thinking of making this into a slow burn but no thanks, I want them to be in a relationship uwu


End file.
